(“You’re a skinny, pencil-necked little…okay, I give up! I GIVE UP!!”)
If the name Joseph Duffy sounds familiar to you, it’s not just because you’ve spent more than 5 minutes in South Boston. No, Joseph Duffy Shaughnessy O’Hoolihan (actual full name) is actually an Irish-born MMA fighter with an impressive 12-1 record who was recently signed by the UFC, and not that this had anything to do with it, but he’s also the last man to defeat Conor McGregor.
“Irish Joe” will face “Vabulous” Vagner Rocha (actual nickname) at UFC 185 on March 14, in what may or may not be worthy of a main card slot depending on who drops out due to injury.
(“You’re a skinny, pencil-necked little…okay, I give up! I GIVE UP!!”)
If the name Joseph Duffy sounds familiar to you, it’s not just because you’ve spent more than 5 minutes in South Boston. No, Joseph Duffy Shaughnessy O’Hoolihan (actual full name) is actually an Irish-born MMA fighter with an impressive 12-1 record who was recently signed by the UFC, and not that this had anything to do with it, but he’s also the last man to defeat Conor McGregor.
“Irish Joe” will face “Vabulous” Vagner Rocha (actual nickname) at UFC 185 on March 14, in what may or may not be worthy of a main card slot depending on who drops out due to injury.
Currently 1-3 in UFC competition, Rocha has been knocked out by Jonathan Brookins and choked out by some guy named Jake Matthews, but somehow managed to go the distance with Donald Cerrone. Strange world, this MMA one is. Anyways, Rocha’s lone UFC win came over Cody McKenzie, who you best believe was underpaid and/or drunk for that sh*t.
Duffy, on the other hand, went 2-0 in 2014 after taking a three-year hiatus from MMA to explore a professional boxing career, which itself came following the first and only professional loss of his career. He also holds a notable win over Norman Parke, but c’mon, that McGregor one is what everyone cares about. Because Conor McGregor is, like, what would happen if you put Fedor on Zeus’s shoulders, and then put Michael Bisping on Fedor’s shoulders. And all three of them could punch, but only Zeus could kick.
Although Stipe Miocic‘s quick knockout of previously undefeated heavyweight Philip De Fries may have netted him the $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus, our pick for sweetest KO went to Jonathan Brookins, who proved that not every Brazilian has the femur mangling leglock ability of Rousimar Palhares when he ground-and-pounded Vagner Rocha into oblivion inside the first two minutes of their preliminary card match-up. Not many of us knew what to make of Brookins after he dropped a UD to Eric Koch back in September of 2011. The fight proved that Brookins’ wrestling could in fact be thwarted, and that his striking had not made the leaps and bounds it needed to in order to balance things out. Last night’s fight was made to be a test of both.
Well, if anyone is still doubting the power in Brookins’ hands, they should probably shut right the hell up. Brookins did what Donald Cerrone, or any of Rocha’s previous opponents for that matter, couldn’t, and shut off his light switch with a series of increasingly punishing strikes before the ref managed to step in. To be honest, it was kind of scary to see that someone as docile and plain daffy as Brookins had the capacity for such brutality. And just as Brookins resembles the missing evolutionary link between man and ape, he was able to evolve in his own right, to connect one of the missing links in his game, and should be applauded for it. Not only did his knockout save a Facebook card that was luke warm at best to begin with, it made up for the fact that the Loeffler/Roberts match was cancelled after Loeffler rolled his ankle in the pre-fight warm up. Talk about shit luck.
Although Stipe Miocic‘s quick knockout of previously undefeated heavyweight Philip De Fries may have netted him the $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus, our pick for sweetest KO went to Jonathan Brookins, who proved that not every Brazilian has the femur mangling leglock ability of Rousimar Palhares when he ground-and-pounded Vagner Rocha into oblivion inside the first two minutes of their preliminary card match-up. Not many of us knew what to make of Brookins after he dropped a UD to Eric Koch back in September of 2011. The fight proved that Brookins’ wrestling could in fact be thwarted, and that his striking had not made the leaps and bounds it needed to in order to balance things out. Last night’s fight was made to be a test of both.
Well, if anyone is still doubting the power in Brookins’ hands, they should probably shut right the hell up. Brookins did what Donald Cerrone, or any of Rocha’s previous opponents for that matter, couldn’t, and shut off his light switch with a series of increasingly punishing strikes before the ref managed to step in. To be honest, it was kind of scary to see that someone as docile and plain daffy as Brookins had the capacity for such brutality. And just as Brookins resembles the missing evolutionary link between man and ape, he was able to evolve in his own right, to connect one of the missing links in his game, and should be applauded for it. Not only did his knockout save a Facebook card that was luke warm at best to begin with, it made up for the fact that the Loeffler/Roberts match was cancelled after Loeffler rolled his ankle in the pre-fight warm up. Talk about shit luck.
Ivan Menjivar and TUF 14′sJohn Albert kicked off the main card by engaging in one of the wildest back and forth rounds that you will see this year, trading punches, kicks, knees, and submissions at an astonishing rate. A tip of the hat is also due to Albert for having the gusto to attack Menjivar in the fashion he did, going for omaplatas, heel hooks, and triangle/armbar variations on the more experienced grappler at every opportunity. That said, it appears his submission defense is not quite up to par with that of his offense. Albert had Menjivar on the defensive following a left hook/head kick combo, and looked like he would finish “The Pride of El Salvador” with a barrage of knees, one of which was blatantly illegal. But he made a huge mistake when he went for that guillotine, which gave Menjivar all the space he needed to flip the script and put Albert on his back, a shift in momentum that would lead to the the fight ending rear-naked choke, and a $50,000 Submission of the Night bonus for Menjivar. We would call it a rookie mistake by Albert, but even the most seasoned of veterans have made it.
I see I forgot to mention in the first aftermath piece that Sanchez/Ellenberger took FOTN. Fifty large could buy Diego that Coronado’s cross he’s always wanted, if only it didn’t BELONG IN A MUSEUM!!
Following the Menjivar/Albert match, TUF 14 bantamweight runner-up T.J. Dillashaw used his superior grappling prowess to grind out a unanimous decision over the lengthy Walel Watson. From the opening bell, it was pretty evident that Dillashaw wanted nothing to do with Watson’s striking game, and considering the manner in which he lost to John Dodson, this seemed understandable. Threatening with a rear-naked choke on several occasions throughout the first round, Dillashaw continued to take Watson down at will over the next two, utterly dominating him and walking away with a 30-25, 30-25, 30-26 unanimous decision.
Speaking of numbers, one thing we would like to compliment the UFC on was their usage of the strike counting graphic that would pop out of the clock every so often. It gives you something to consider when personally judging each fight, and in our opinion, will help casual fans gain an appreciation for one aspect of the ground game. So touche, UFC. Touche.
Oh yeah, and Ronny Markes had a successful middleweight debut, managing to overcome being nearly finished in the first round to out grapple Aaron Simpson and snag a split decision victory. With the win, Markes improves to 2-0 in the octagon and is now the biggest middleweight since Anthony Johnson.
Filed under: UFC, NewsA series of fights have been added to the upcoming UFC on FX debut event on January 20 in Nashville, Tennessee, providing depth to the previously announced Melvin Guillard vs. Jim Miller headliner.
A series of fights have been added to the upcoming UFC on FX debut event on January 20 in Nashville, Tennessee, providing depth to the previously announced Melvin Guillard vs. Jim Miller headliner.
Among the fight agreements released by the UFC on Tuesday include a middleweight fight between Jorge Rivera and Eric Schafer, as well as featherweight and light-heavyweight bouts.
Rivera will be looking to snap a two-fight losing streak after dropping back-to-back bouts against Michael Bisping and Constantinos Philippou. Prior to that, Rivera (18-9) had won three straight.
Schafer (12-6-2) is coming off a three-round unanimous decision loss to Aaron Simpson at UFC 136.
Meanwhile, former WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown will attempt to forge his first multi-fight win streak since mid-2009, and will need a win over Vagner Rocha to do it. After a two-fight losing streak, Brown (25-8) found the win column at UFC 133 with a unanimous decision victory over Nam Phan.
Rocha (7-2) recently captured his first octagon win when he forced Cody McKenzie to tap out to a rear naked choke at September’s UFC Fight Night event in New Orleans.
The third announced fight features the UFC debut of Ryan Jimmo, a Canadian light-heavyweight who hasn’t lost since his career debut in 2007, winning 16 in a row. Jimmo had been the current reigning champion in Canada’s Maximum Fighting Championships before vacating that belt to sign with the UFC. In his last fight, he earned the judges’ nod in a win over former UFC fighter Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou.
Jimmo will face Czech fighter Karlos Vemola (8-2), who dropped his last fight in an August decision at the hands of Ronny Markes.
UFC on FX will be hosted by Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
NEW ORLEANS – This is the UFC Fight Night 25 live blog for all the preliminary bouts on tonight’s UFC fights from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
The prelims, which will stream live on the UFC’s Facebook page, include a pair of lightweight bouts between TUF 12 competitor Cody McKenzie and Vagner Rocha and TUF 12 fighter Shamar Bailey and Evan Dunham.
Wanderlei Silva protege Lopez is making his UFC debut and is a pretty sizable favorite in this one. He’s got “The Axe Murderer” in his corner, naturally. Bruce Buffer runs the intros, and we’re ready to roll with Kevin Mulhall the third man in the Octagon. They trade in tight early, and Edwards looks for a throw, but settles for a clinch against the cage. But Lopez lifts him for a nice slam – right into a guillotine. Edwards cranks on it, but Lopez rolls out and eventually pops back to his feet. He throws a nice right kick that Edwards counters with some more clinch work. In tight, Edwards lands a couple nice hooks, then a soft slam. But again Lopez pops up. And again Edwards softly takes him down. He looks for a guillotine again, but settles for keeping position on the mat, trying to work ground and pound. The fight moves back to the feet halfway through the round. Jabs are traded, with each fighter landing a nice one in close. A nice knee from Lopez briefly has Edwards on the canvas with Lopez looking for some quick short strikes. But back on the feet, Edwards ties things up again with his back on the fence. Another nice knee from Lopez lands, but Edwards chases him down with a flurry and they trade position along the fence. Lopez landed some decent shots in the round, but MMA Fighting will score the round 10-9 for Edwards.
Round 2: Edwards opens with a left jab, then eats a high right kick. But he comes back with a spinning back kick right to Lopez’s gut. Back along the fence, Edwards again lands a little takedown and has good position in side control. He works to sink in a guillotine and gets it. It looks tight, but Lopez barely pops out and briefly has top position until they go back to their feet. After several Edwards near-chokes so far, Lopez might believe he needs to keep this standing. Edwards again works for a little takedown and works to take Lopez’s back. Lopez looks absolutely exhausted as Edwards starts laying on the ground and pound. It’s getting close as Mulhall looks in, but Lopez gives one burst of energy and reverses to pop out. After a short stall in the clinch, Mulhall splits them up with 30 seconds left in the round. Edwards lands a couple nice kicks as we get to the end. We’ll give another 10-9 round to Edwards heading to the last.
Round 3: They touch gloves for the last. Lopez has probably been told he’ll need to finish, and he lands a nice right hand early. Lopez ties Edwards up, and Edwards throws knees. Then Lopez lifts him for a nice slam. Edwards is looking for an armbar from his side. But Lopez finally gets out of it, gets mount, then takes Edwards’ back and starts looking for ground and pound. Edwards is squirming to try and get out, and Lopez gives up the back. He keeps dominant position on the ground, moving from side control to north-south briefly, then back to side control. He lands some short right elbows as Edwards looks for a way out. And finally, Edwards gets back to his feet. With 1:20 left, Lopez again gets a short takedown, but Edwards falls into guard. Edwards gets an armbar with 20 seconds left, but he can’t hold it. We’ll give the third to Lopez, 10-9, but the fight should go to Edwards 29-28 in a fairly major upset.
Result: Justin Edwards def. Jorge Lopez, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Mike Lullo vs. Robert Peralta
Round 1:
High kick from Lullo to open. Then he eats one to the outside. They trade a few kicks, then Peralta ties up and lands some knees. He uses them to get a soft taekdown before letting Lullo back up. They trade jabs. Then several kicks each. After his UFC debut loss against Edson Barboza last November, you’d think Lullo would be pretty fed up with eating kicks by now. But he’s throwing plenty himself. Peralta checks a kick, then comes with a nice combo. Then again. Lullo’s left thigh is blistering red from kicks already. Nice right hand from Peralta lands, and he comes back with two more huge kicks to Lullo’s lead leg. Peralta then again lands some big kicks that take Lullo off his feet – it’s literally like watching a replay of the Lullo-Barboza fight. It’s a 10-9 round for Peralta.
Round 2: More kicks from Peralta. And Lullo has a large hematoma on the left side of his head. Peralta goes right after it. More kicks from Peralta force Lullo to shoot, and he ties things up along the fence. Things stall out for a minute as Lullo keeps Peralta tied up – at least he’s not eating kicks. They break at 1:30 and trade leg kicks. Again Lullo shoots, but it’s not there. A nice kick from Lullo closes the round. It’s definitely a closer round, but we’re going to give it to Peralta again, 10-9.
Round 3: Mike Stumpf vs. T.J. Waldburger
NEW ORLEANS – This is the UFC Fight Night 25 live blog for all the preliminary bouts on tonight’s UFC fights from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
The prelims, which will stream live on the UFC’s Facebook page, include a pair of lightweight bouts between TUF 12 competitor Cody McKenzie and Vagner Rocha and TUF 12 fighter Shamar Bailey and Evan Dunham.
Wanderlei Silva protege Lopez is making his UFC debut and is a pretty sizable favorite in this one. He’s got “The Axe Murderer” in his corner, naturally. Bruce Buffer runs the intros, and we’re ready to roll with Kevin Mulhall the third man in the Octagon. They trade in tight early, and Edwards looks for a throw, but settles for a clinch against the cage. But Lopez lifts him for a nice slam – right into a guillotine. Edwards cranks on it, but Lopez rolls out and eventually pops back to his feet. He throws a nice right kick that Edwards counters with some more clinch work. In tight, Edwards lands a couple nice hooks, then a soft slam. But again Lopez pops up. And again Edwards softly takes him down. He looks for a guillotine again, but settles for keeping position on the mat, trying to work ground and pound. The fight moves back to the feet halfway through the round. Jabs are traded, with each fighter landing a nice one in close. A nice knee from Lopez briefly has Edwards on the canvas with Lopez looking for some quick short strikes. But back on the feet, Edwards ties things up again with his back on the fence. Another nice knee from Lopez lands, but Edwards chases him down with a flurry and they trade position along the fence. Lopez landed some decent shots in the round, but MMA Fighting will score the round 10-9 for Edwards.
Round 2: Edwards opens with a left jab, then eats a high right kick. But he comes back with a spinning back kick right to Lopez’s gut. Back along the fence, Edwards again lands a little takedown and has good position in side control. He works to sink in a guillotine and gets it. It looks tight, but Lopez barely pops out and briefly has top position until they go back to their feet. After several Edwards near-chokes so far, Lopez might believe he needs to keep this standing. Edwards again works for a little takedown and works to take Lopez’s back. Lopez looks absolutely exhausted as Edwards starts laying on the ground and pound. It’s getting close as Mulhall looks in, but Lopez gives one burst of energy and reverses to pop out. After a short stall in the clinch, Mulhall splits them up with 30 seconds left in the round. Edwards lands a couple nice kicks as we get to the end. We’ll give another 10-9 round to Edwards heading to the last.
Round 3: They touch gloves for the last. Lopez has probably been told he’ll need to finish, and he lands a nice right hand early. Lopez ties Edwards up, and Edwards throws knees. Then Lopez lifts him for a nice slam. Edwards is looking for an armbar from his side. But Lopez finally gets out of it, gets mount, then takes Edwards’ back and starts looking for ground and pound. Edwards is squirming to try and get out, and Lopez gives up the back. He keeps dominant position on the ground, moving from side control to north-south briefly, then back to side control. He lands some short right elbows as Edwards looks for a way out. And finally, Edwards gets back to his feet. With 1:20 left, Lopez again gets a short takedown, but Edwards falls into guard. Edwards gets an armbar with 20 seconds left, but he can’t hold it. We’ll give the third to Lopez, 10-9, but the fight should go to Edwards 29-28 in a fairly major upset.
Result: Justin Edwards def. Jorge Lopez, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Mike Lullo vs. Robert Peralta
Round 1:
High kick from Lullo to open. Then he eats one to the outside. They trade a few kicks, then Peralta ties up and lands some knees. He uses them to get a soft taekdown before letting Lullo back up. They trade jabs. Then several kicks each. After his UFC debut loss against Edson Barboza last November, you’d think Lullo would be pretty fed up with eating kicks by now. But he’s throwing plenty himself. Peralta checks a kick, then comes with a nice combo. Then again. Lullo’s left thigh is blistering red from kicks already. Nice right hand from Peralta lands, and he comes back with two more huge kicks to Lullo’s lead leg. Peralta then again lands some big kicks that take Lullo off his feet – it’s literally like watching a replay of the Lullo-Barboza fight. It’s a 10-9 round for Peralta.
Round 2: More kicks from Peralta. And Lullo has a large hematoma on the left side of his head. Peralta goes right after it. More kicks from Peralta force Lullo to shoot, and he ties things up along the fence. Things stall out for a minute as Lullo keeps Peralta tied up – at least he’s not eating kicks. They break at 1:30 and trade leg kicks. Again Lullo shoots, but it’s not there. A nice kick from Lullo closes the round. It’s definitely a closer round, but we’re going to give it to Peralta again, 10-9.
Round 3: Mike Stumpf vs. T.J. Waldburger
If you’ve ever wondered how Cage Potato sneaks into UFC events, let’s just say it involves matching black baseball hats. Props: MMAConnected.com
Look, I get it. Vancouver fans are extremely excited about their Canucks winning 1-0 at home on Friday, putting the team one win away from taking the Stanley Cup. I’m more than willing to forgive those in attendance for being less than excited about UFC 131, an MMA event absent of title fights, or even some fellow Canadians on the main card. I’ll forgive the chants of “Go Canucks Go” and “We Want The Cup” that broke out throughout the evening. I’ll even forgive them for being won over by Jon Olav Einemo’s Canucks flag. But not watching the fights you’re supposed to be judging? That’s unacceptable.
There were some downright awful decisions made by the judges last night, causing some to wonder if they even watched the fights. Fortunately for Junior Dos Santos, his beating of Shane Carwin was too lopsided to possibly mess up. No doubt, Dos Santos looked impressive against Shane Carwin. Not only did he survive some of Shane’s hardest punches, but he also displayed some improved wrestling. He even managed to make Carwin look gun-shy, which seemed unthinkable. There were numerous times throughout the fight where it seemed crazy that Junior Dos Santos was fighting the same guy that almost dethroned Brock Lesnar. Before we get too excited though, remember that Shane Carwin managed to survive all three rounds, despite being a late replacement coming off of surgery. Time will tell how Dos Santos holds up against Cain Valesquez.
If you’ve ever wondered how Cage Potato sneaks into UFC events, let’s just say it involves matching black baseball hats. Props: MMAConnected.com
Look, I get it. Vancouver fans are extremely excited about their Canucks winning 1-0 at home on Friday, putting the team one win away from taking the Stanley Cup. I’m more than willing to forgive those in attendance for being less than excited about UFC 131, an MMA event absent of title fights, or even some fellow Canadians on the main card. I’ll forgive the chants of “Go Canucks Go” and “We Want The Cup” that broke out throughout the evening. I’ll even forgive them for being won over by Jon Olav Einemo’s Canucks flag. But not watching the fights you’re supposed to be judging? That’s unacceptable.
There were some downright awful decisions made by the judges last night, causing some to wonder if they even watched the fights. Fortunately for Junior Dos Santos, his beating of Shane Carwin was too lopsided to possibly mess up. No doubt, Dos Santos looked impressive against Shane Carwin. Not only did he survive some of Shane’s hardest punches, but he also displayed some improved wrestling. He even managed to make Carwin look gun-shy, which seemed unthinkable. There were numerous times throughout the fight where it seemed crazy that Junior Dos Santos was fighting the same guy that almost dethroned Brock Lesnar. Before we get too excited though, remember that Shane Carwin managed to survive all three rounds, despite being a late replacement coming off of surgery. Time will tell how Dos Santos holds up against Cain Valesquez.
Perhaps our expectations of Kenny Florian were a bit too high for a guy who once fought at middleweight making his featherweight debut. Florian, who began his cut to featherweight weighing 180 pounds, coasted to a decision victory against Diego Nunes. Even though his cardio was still as good as ever, Florian looked too slow against Nunes to be a threat to the top featherweights. In all fairness to Florian, however, he may have been slow simply because this was his first fight at featherweight. Even though he is more than likely next in line for a title shot, he should probably be given one more fight at featherweight to adjust his weight cut before being offered up to Jose Aldo.
With his victory against Demian Maia, Mark Munoz becomes a contender at middleweight. He looked impressive last night by avoiding submissions from Demian Maia on his way to a unanimous decision victory. However, he also managed to get rocked on numerous occasions by the mediocre kickboxer. Munoz will need to spend more time on his striking in order to survive the deep end of the middleweight division.
Speaking of spending more time on striking, Vagner Rocha and Jon Olav Einemo should probably do that as well. Rocha was never given a chance to utilize his jiu jitsu against Donald Cerrone. Cerrone, who leg kicked his way to the victory, was never in any real danger of being caught by Rocha’s desperate haymakers. Then again, perhaps it is a bit unfair to be so hard on Jon Olav Einemo. Despite the time spent at Golden Glory, Einemo was coming off of a five year layoff against a dangerous striker, Dave Herman. What else were we to expect? If anything, it’s an accomplishment that he had Herman in trouble a few times during the fight, which is no easy task. Another fight in the UFC will see whether or not Einemo can still be a competitor in today’s MMA scene. Just not against Shane Carwin.
Junior Dos Santos defeats Shane Carwin via Unanimous Decision
Donald Cerrone defeats Vagner Rocha via Unanimous Decision
Dave Herman defeats Jon Olav Einemo via TKO (Strikes) Round 2
Mark Munoz defeats Demian Maia via Unanimous Decision
Kenny Florian defeats Diego Nunes via Unanimous Decision
Sam Stout defeats Yves Edwards via TKO (Strikes) Round 1
Chris Weidman defeats Jesse Bongfeldt via Submission (Standing Guillotine Choke) Round 1
Krzysztof Soszynski def. Mike Massenzio via unanimous decision
Nick Ring def. James Head via submission (rear-naked choke) in round 3
Darren Elkins def. Michihiro Omigawa via unanimous decision
Dustin Poirier def. Jason Young via unanimous decision
Joey Beltran def. Aaron Rosa via technical knockout in round 3
At that exact moment, as he stepped on the scales, he was haunted by the thought that he’d left his oven on. And that was the beginning of the end for Shane Carwin. (Pic: UFC.com)
This card was dealt a serious blow when PPV kingpin Brock Lesnar dropped out due to his ongoing battle with diverticulitis, and the hits just keptcoming. Despite the constant deck shuffling, Joe Silva’s cooked up a decent batch of chicken salad, setting up a headlining bout that in many ways is more compelling than the original and a few match-ups that pose some interesting questions. How will a Jenny Craig’d Carwin perform in his first fight back after undergoing surgery? Will Florian finally find a stable home at 145lbs? Can you even call it “ring rust” after a five year layoff?
A lot of tonight’s fights are tough to call, but we’ll call them just the same. If you tuned in to YouTube or Facebook for the pre-prelims, you were treated to copious amounts of leather (and some questionable judging). We’ll hold off on the results of those fights and the Spike undercard in case they make it to the PPV broadcast. As always, your witty and insightful comments are more than welcome. Your shitty ones, not so much.
At that exact moment, as he stepped on the scales, he was haunted by the thought that he’d left his oven on. And that was the beginning of the end for Shane Carwin. (Pic: UFC.com)
This card was dealt a serious blow when PPV kingpin Brock Lesnar dropped out due to his ongoing battle with diverticulitis, and the hits just keptcoming. Despite the constant deck shuffling, Joe Silva’s cooked up a decent batch of chicken salad, setting up a headlining bout that in many ways is more compelling than the original and a few match-ups that pose some interesting questions. How will a Jenny Craig’d Carwin perform in his first fight back after undergoing surgery? Will Florian finally find a stable home at 145lbs? Can you even call it “ring rust” after a five year layoff?
A lot of tonight’s fights are tough to call, but we’ll call them just the same. If you tuned in to YouTube or Facebook for the pre-prelims, you were treated to copious amounts of leather (and some questionable judging). We’ll hold off on the results of those fights and the Spike undercard in case they make it to the PPV broadcast. As always, your witty and insightful comments are more than welcome. Your shitty ones, not so much.
I hear poor quality opera singing and see some dude putting on a gladiator costume, so that can only mean one thing…We…Are..LIVE!!!!
We aren’t wasting much time here on video game commercials and Jason Statham previews…yet. The first fighters are already making their way to the Octagon.
Vagner Rocha vs. Donald Cerrone
Round 1: Cerrone opens up with a pair of hard leg kicks, but the second one clips Rocha’s junk. No real delay and we’re back to action. Nice knee by Cerrone. The two are feeling things out, exchanging a few leg kicks back and forth. Double leg to Rocha. Cerrone tries an oma plata or armbar, but Rocha shakes him off and they’re back on their feet. No secret where Rocha wants this as he fails in another takedown attempt. Both men reserved, picking their strikes. Rocha fails in a half-hearted takedown. Cerrone faceplants Rocha as he dives for another fruitless takedown. And another. Meanwhile Rocha’s eating some heavy leg kicks. Does he know how to check them? Pretty easy 10-9 for Cowboy.
Round 2: Rocha’s corner advises that he doesn’t get kicked so much. Sage advice, let’s see if he listens. Cerrone with a nice kick, shocker. Rocha snags Cerrone’s ankles and nearly completes the takedown, but Cerrone stays up and Rocha presses him against the cage. Cerrone shakes off another takedown and they’re back in the Bud Light logo. Another kick from Cerrone. Rocha needs to shoot, shoot, and shoot again until this fight is on the ground. Rocha with a leg kick but he eats a straight left counter. Rocha dives in again, but is easily rebuffed. Cerrone drops him with a jab and briefly follows him down before standing back up. Cerrone with more chopping kicks and a front kick. Rocha with another desperate takedown attempt, but he’s no closer on this try or the subsequent one than he has been all night.
Round 3: Rocha needs a stoppage here. How he’ll get it is anyone’s guess. Front kick from Cerrone to open things up. Cerrone’s holding back, considering he’s tooling Rocha as he pleases. Rocha with an obligatory failed takedown. No urgency from either man, just sporadic leg kicks and failed takedowns. Whoa, a three bitch slap combo from Rocha. Unprecedented. Rocha doesn’t look like he’ll be standing if he eats more kicks, and he will. Another shot, another easy sprawl for Cerrone. And a shot/buttscoot from Rocha. A few more leisurely kicks, but if Cerrone turned on the kicks this would be over. Hard kicks and a knee from Cerrone, and he drops Rocha with less than ten seconds on the clock. Should be a cut and dry decision for Cerrone.
Donald Cerrone def. Vagner Rocha: Unanimous Decision (30-27 x 2, 30-26)
Cerrone thanks “the Vancouver people” and “the Vancouver customs” before apologizing for holding back and fighting not to lose rather than fighting to win.
Jon Olav Einemo vs. Dave Herman
Herman comes out to Culture Club, “Do you really want to hurt me”. Classic. Shit, Einemo comes out to G ‘N F’n Roses. Well done, boys.
Round 1: Herman opens with a push kick and inside leg kick. Einemo clinches and forces him to the cage as he works for the takedown. Herman defending well, and lands a few knees as he gets away. Big right by Einemo, lets see how that Golden Glory time has been spent. Einemo with an uppercut as he pushes things to the cage, but Herman spins out and lands a few shots of his own. Herman landing some decent kicks. Einemo really charging in with his shots, but not really landing anything too serious. Herman lands a few punches and a knee before Einemo lands the double with two minutes left. Einemo works his way out of guard and into side control against the cage. Herman spins out and kicks him off and they’re back on their feet. The two trade knees and Einemo scores with a right hand. More knees exchanged as they clinch against the cage. Einemo with another right, and scores a takedown at the last second.
Round 2: Herman’s corner chastised him for standing still and not moving. Let’s see if he adjusts in the second. Einemo forces Herman to the cage, but Pee Wee escapes. Herman does just as his coaches told him not to, and eats a couple of punches. Herman fires back and lands a light axe kick. Big knee from Einemo in the clinch. Herman is in trouble. Einemo hunting him down with punches. Einemo slips and hits the ground, but Herman can’t take advantage. Pause for mouthpiece… Big knee and punches have Herman in trouble, but he responds with some big shots of his own and drops Einemo! Herman landing elbows on from half guard. Herman lets him stand, and he does, very slowly. These guys both looked rocked and exhausted. Now it’s Herman with big knees again. Einemo drops from the blows (and it looked like fatigue as well), and the ref calls an end to the bout.
Both men were in trouble in that round, on more than one occasion.
Dave Herman def. Jon Olav Einemo: TKO (R2- 3:19)
Demian Maia vs. Mark Munoz
Round 1: Slow start as they feel each other out. Munoz got tagged with something and looked wobbled, but he seems to have recovered. Maia lands a big right and clinches Munoz against the cage. Stalling against the cage prompts a break from the ref. Maia is coming after Munoz on the feet with kicks and punches. Again, he’s charging after him. Not what anyone, including Munoz, probably expected. Maia with a body kick. Munoz tries for a head kick and eats a big punch. Maia crowds Munoz toward the cage, threatening to launch some strikes. Maia is not intimidated at all. Both men trading strkes as the round ends with Munoz shooting for a takedown. That was Maia’s round.
Round 2: Let’s see if Munoz regroups now that he knows what to expect. Munoz tags Maia and follows him down with some power shots to the body- dozens of them. Action has slowed, and Maia turns into guard briefly before they stand up. Now it’s Maia looking to tee off, but Munoz answers with a punch of his own. Maia gets stuffed on a takedown and Munoz locks up a D’Arce, but lets go and Maia’s on top. They’re back up, and Maia shoots again but Munoz sprawls and lands more of those whalloping shots to Maia’s ass. Munoz is in half guard, but Maia gets full guard. This is right where Maia wants to be, but Munoz gets back up. Now it’s Munoz working for a single, and he’s on top of Maia in half guard against the cage and scores a couple of short elbows. With 10 seconds left, they’re stood up to close the round.
Round 3: Awkward hug to start things off. Munoz lets loose some head kicks, but Maia blocks. Munz gets the takedown, but Maia’s right back up. Munoz working a single with Maia clenched against the cage, but Maia slips around to Munoz’s back and comes close to securing a crucifix. They’re back on their feet and back against the cage with Munoz working toward another takedown. Wall & Stall prompts a restart, and Munoz is launching body kicks and gets the takedown, but once again Maia pops right back up. Both men trade body kicks. Maia shoots and is stuffed once more before they close the round throwing punches.
Mark Munoz def. Demian Maia: Unanimous Decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27)
Munoz admits he was surprised and caught off guard by Maia’s improved standup, and says Maia had him doing the ‘Stanky Leg’, undoubtedly a tribute to boxing coach Al Stankie.
Up next is the incredible shrinking Florian. Can he finish fights at 145? Rogan lists the many kicks Nunes brings to the fight. Noticeably absent is the side-check kick. The Canadian fans did not take kindly to Florians Boston Bruins get-up at yesterday’s weigh-ins, judging from the boos.
Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes
Round 1: Florian launches two head kicks, and Nunes responds in kind. Both men kicking and striking, but so far most of what’s thrown is being slipped. Florian looks for a takedown and succeeds for half a second before Nunes springs up and presses Kenny against the cage. Nunes scores his own takedown against the cage, but Florian is back to his feet. Florian catches a kick, but can’t get Nunes down. This hockey crowd is tearing Florian up. Nunes drops KenFlo momentarily with a low kick, but he pops right back up. Nunes lands a spinning back fist, but Kenny hangs in there. Now Nunes lands a high kick, but Florian is ok. Nunes is showing off those kicks Rogan told us about. With 40 seconds left, Florian gets the takedown but does little with it before Nunes works his way up. Another spinning elbow and Nunes drops him with a combo and follows him to the ground as the horn sounds.
Round 2: Nunes is putting all of his power into his punches, but isn’t connecting. Florian works him to the cage and gets a leg up over his head, but Nunes maintains his balance and doesn’t go down. Great takedown defense from Nunes, and now HE lands a takedown. Florian throws up his legs looking for a triangle, but Nunes works free. Nunes standing over Florian, and dives in to administer some ground and pound. Nunes gets up and the ref brings Kenny to his feet. Kenny scoops up Nunes in his best takedown yet, and the crowd lets the boos flow. Nunes is bleeding from the back of his head, leaving pools of blood on the mat. Florian dropping bombs from the guard. Nunes throws his legs up and stops any more punches from coming before the round ends.
Round 3: Nunes was looking good until the end of that round, but he’s looking a little tired now. Florian looks fresh, chopping away at Nunes with some kicks. Kenny with a knee to the body from the clinch, and scores an easy takedown. Florian passes into half guard, landing some elbows from the top. Kenny passes into side control, but after a stalemate Nunes spins free and clinches Florian against the cage. Nunes looking to end this with a big kick, but it isn’t coming. Nunes swinging away, but Florian evades. Nunes is exhausted, but he’s not hiding. Big knee by Florian. The two trade shots in the clinch, and Nunes drops Florian to a knee with seconds left in the fight. This one goes to the judges.
Kenny Florian def. Diego Nunes: Unanimous Decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27)
Predictably, the crowd is displeased. Florian says the cut was very, very difficult, “the hardest thing [he’s] ever done in his life”. KenFlo says he’s at Featherweight to stay, and that he wants to chase down the belt.
Time for the main event. Carwin has maniac eyes in his staredown graphic.
Junior Dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin
Round 1: Here we go! Carwin shoots for a single after circling for a bit, but Junior stays upright. Junior with a body shot and Carwin with a straight right. Right from Dos Santos. Junior with a combo, Carwin with a jab. Junior with a quick jab; speed is certainly on his side. Both men feeling each other out, but Junior’s loosing up. Carwin with a single, but Junior right back up. Carwin’s face is a little red from these jabs. Junior connecting with combos and carwin is in big trouble. Junior has his back and is hammering away. Thirty seconds left. This has to be almost over as Junior fires away with a look to Herb Dean. Carwin is up, but his face is crimsoned. He’s a bloody mess.
Round 2: Carwin’s nose is probably broken, and his expression looks like he’s a beaten man. Dos Santos with a head kick. Carwin charges in, but there’s nothing there. Junior tries to connect with an uppercut. Junior with a jab and hook to the body. Carwin misses with a left, but lands a nice pair of leg kicks. Junior with a stiff jab, but Carwin stalks him down and lands a nice punch. Junior goes to the body and Carwin gets him with a right hand. Both men are cautious here. Junior throwing out those jabs. Big head kick by Junior, but Carwin blocks some of it and eats the rest looking no worse for wear. Junior lets off a combo and two digging body shots to end the round.
Round 3: Carwin’s face is a mess, but he’s ready for round 3. Carwin shoots right in for a single as Junior swings. He has Junior down for a moment, but Dos Santos stands back up without absorbing any damage. Carwin missing with a big left. Misses with another. Not much action going on as both men wait for their shot. Carwin stalks Junior, but he evades. Dos Santos lands a stiff jab and a nice left hook. Junior is starting to fire off combos and he’s finding his mark. Carwin looks tired with 90 seconds left. Junior’s hands are finding their home as Herb Dean halts the bout so doctors can check out Carwin’s face. Carwin’s busted up, but he’s game to continue and they allow it. This is it- one minute left. Junior with a big takedown, and he tees off with body shots until Carwin pops up. Carwin needs to go berserk here, but Junior puts him on his back once more as the horn sounds to end the fight.
Unless there’s a judging catastrophe, Junior will face Cain Velasquez for the Heavyweight title.
Junior Dos Santos def. Shane Carwin: Unanimous Decision (30-27 x 2, 30-26)
Velasquez is brought in to exchange a few complimentary words with the challenger to his throne. Up next is the Stout-Edwards bout from Spike, so I’ll leave you to that. Full results from the evening are below:
Undercard Results:
Darren Elkins def. Michihiro Omigawa: unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
A series of fights have been added to the upcoming UFC on FX debut event on January 20 in Nashville, Tennessee, providing depth to the previously announced 
NEW ORLEANS – This is the 
